White-crowned Sparrow

Zonotrichia leucophrys

White-crowned Sparrows are
a fairly common migrant
through the state. They are well known for the amazing
range of dialects from one location to another, and are one of the most studied
of bird species in North America. Young males learn their songs in their
first few months of life, "picking up" a song style in the local environment
where they're raised. As individual birds often return to the same
general area for breeding, local populations have thus developed their own
dialects. A fully-mature White-crowned Sparrow is shown in the photo to
the right. Immature (first-year) birds typically have less bold
markings on the head (see photos at the bottom of the page).

Habitat: Forest edges, brush, thickets,
parks, residential areas, farms. Can be found in nearly any brushy
location during its migration through the state.

Diet: Mostly seeds, other vegetable
matter, and insects. Many insects in summer, mostly seeds in the
winter.

Behavior: Primarily forages by on the ground, or
occasionally low in vegetation. They will also occasionally fly out
from a perch to catch flying insects. They are often gregarious
outside of the mating season, foraging in loose flocks, often mixed with
other sparrow species.

Nesting: Non-breeder in South
Dakota

Migration: Most summer in northern Canada, Alaska, and the Rocky
Mountains. Most winter in the southern half of the U.S., the west coast, and
Mexico. However, there is a non-migratory population along the coastline
of California.

Bird Feeders: They will attend feeders for most seeds.

Conservation Status: There are several different populations of
this species, most of which seem to be stable. However, there are
indications that some populations in the western United States are
declining.